The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-26
A STRONG APPEAL.

An Illinois Man Tells n Story of Suffering
aud Priyation-
Washington Special.
One of the strou gest appeals for an increase
Of pension that has been made to Congress
comes from ]. W. January, of Minonk, Ill, who
states his as follows:
II was born in Clinton county. Ohio. Nov. 80
1s47 emigrated to Illinois in 1852, and located
near Henry farm In the spring OF 1901
moved to Minonk, ILL.,. where l nave reeloed
since except while in the army. In the fall OF
1862 the Fourteenth Illinois Cavalry organized
in Peoria and I enlisted IN Company b; served
until captured in Sronemans raid In July, Iooi'
upon retreat from Macon i was taken oy SIX
rebel soldiers to Andersonyille and there kept
until the fall Of Atlanta made II necessary for
us to be moved to prevent our falling into the
hands of the Union forces l was taken to
Charleston, 5. e., with others, and placed
hv the enemy under the fire of our soldiers
aud gun boats; remained there ten days ana
was taken to Florence ;. c., where we passed
the winter of 64-5, and on or about Feb. 10. l
was stricken down by an attack OF swamp
fever and for three weeks l remained In q de-
lir1ous condition; the fever abated. and reason
returned. soon learned from the surgeon after
q hasry examination, that l was victim or
scurvy and gangrene. and was removed to the
gangrsne hospital Ny feet, and ankles above
the joints. presented livid, lifeless appearances.
and the flesh began TO slough of, and the sur
geon, with a brutal oath, said l would soon die
But was determined to live, and begged him
to cut my feet off, telling him if he would that
l.
my life depended the removal of my feet, l
secured old pocket-knife II have It now In
my poseession), and. cutting through the de-
caying flesh and severing the tendons the feet
were unjointed, leaving the bones protruding
without a covering of flesh for i've inches
fSee picture taken three months after released
'.At the close of the war was taken by the
rebs to our lines at Wilmington, \. O.. IN April,
1865 and when weighed, learned that had been
reduced from 165 pounds (my weight when capt
ured) to forty-fve pounds. Everyone or the
Union surgeons who saw me then said L could
not live but contrary to this belief, did and
improved Six weeks after being released,
while on a boat en- route TO New York, the bones
of nv right limb broke off at the end of the
flesh. Six weeks later while in the hospital
on David's island, those of my left had become
necrosed, and broke off similarly. One year
after my release l WAS just able to sit up ID
bed and was discharged. Twelve years after
my release my limbs had healed over, and,
strange to relate, no amputation had ever been
performed upon them save the one 1 performed
In prison. There record of any case IN the
world similar to mine. My theory of the cause
Us this: While delrious was weak that the
pulsations of the heart were 900 feeble TO throw
the blood to the extremities, and below the point
of circulation death took place My family con-
sists of my aged parents, my wife, three sons.
and three daughters, and yours,
~. ". JANUARY"
Mr.. January accompanies his petltition with
two photographs one OF which shows him as he
appeared after his release from prison, and the
other as he is at present